Twine-cutter



(No Model.)

0. W. THOMES.

TWINE CUTTER.

No. 494,606. Pat-entedApr. 4, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. THOMES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TWI NE-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,606, dated April 4, 1893.

Application filed November 18, 1892. Serial No. 452,383. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. THOMES, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Twine-Cutters, which will, in connection with the accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fully described, and specificially defined in the appended claim.

My invention relates to a device for cutting twine; and consists of a finger ring with a cutting blade adjustably attached thereto, and possessing the novel features hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same when in the position shown in Fig. 1, and also showing a piece of twine drawn into the same as when the cutter is in practical operation. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the ring with the cutter removed. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the cutter detached from the ring.

A represents the body of the ring; B a recess cut across the face of the ring; 0 the cutting blade attached to the ring; D the cutting edge of the blade; E a slot through the body of the cutter to afford adjustment; F the screw by which the cutter is secured to the ring; and G represents a piece of twine drawn into the recess, under and over and against the edge of the cutter, thus illustrating the position of the twine relatively to the cutter when the latter is in practical operation.

The device consists of the ring A, and cutter 0 secured thereto, which may be conveniently worn on the forefinger of the left hand. The side of recess B adjacent to the cutting edge D is preferably formed oblique to the edges of the ring and has its front corner rounded off as shown to facilitate the passage of the twine between the edge of the recess and the blade of the cutter. The cutting edge D, is also formed similarly oblique in a less degree to the edges of the body of the cutter, and when adjusted on the ring in proper relation to said edge of the recess, the two edges are convergent, as shown, which tends to force the twine on to the sharp edge of the blade as it is drawn into and toward the narrow end of the space, as illustrated in Fig. 2--the pull on the twine being in the direction of the arrow. The blade overhangs the recess in its adj ustment upon the ring leaving a clearance or space beneath for the twine, as shown in Fig. 1. By means of slot E the cutter is easily adjusted to bring its blade D into right relations to the edge of the recess; and when so adjusted the turningof screw F into the body of the ring, through slot E, securely fastens the same in place. In practical operation, this finger ring cutter is usually worn upon the forefinger of the left hand of the operator, with the .blade uppermost and the broad end of the space between the convergent edges toward the back of the hand. When thus worn, the.

operator, after tying a parcel, severe the string by passing it from the parcel between the thumb and forefinger on which the ring is worn, and then with the other hand passing the twine into the cutter as illustrated in Fig. 2, drawing it over the blade as therein shown, in the direction indicated by the arrow, whereby it is easily and very expeditiously severed without undue strain upon the hands or injury to the same.

It is obvious that other forms of cutters and different ways of attaching them to a ring may be made and adopted without departing from the essential principle of my invention.

I claim- A twine cutter composed of a ring A, having an inclined recess or groove cut in the body of the ring obliquelyacross the face thereof, and a curved cutter 0, adj ustably secured upon the peripheral face of the ring and having its blade D, turned downward into the groove so as to be shielded by the side thereof, and formed and arranged so that the side of the groove and edge of the blade are convergent, forming between them a wedgeshaped space into which the twine to be cut is drawn; all substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES W. THOMES. Witnesses:

JOHN Q. ADAMS, RALPH W. E. HOPPER. 

